Florida Statute 794.21 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XLVI
CRIMES

Chapter 794
SEXUAL BATTERY

View Entire Chapter

F.S. 794.021

794.021 Ignorance or belief as to victim’s age no defense.—When, in this chapter, the criminality of conduct depends upon the victim’s being below a certain specified age, ignorance of the age is no defense. Neither shall misrepresentation of age by such person nor a bona fide belief that such person is over the specified age be a defense.

History.—s. 2, ch. 74-121.

F.S. 794.021 on Google Scholar

F.S. 794.021 on CourtListener

Amendments to 794.021

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 794.021

Total Results: 15

United States v. Harris

608 F.3d 1222, 2010 WL 2382401

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: Jun 16, 2010 | Docket: 1544443

Cited 40 times | Published

`statutory rape.' Thus, we are persuaded that section 794.021 forecloses [the defendant] from a defense based

Huffman v. State

813 So. 2d 10, 2001 WL 617716

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jun 7, 2000 | Docket: 1403387

Cited 39 times | Published

the same chapter, the Legislature enacted section 794.021, titled "Involuntary Sexual Battery."[2] In

State v. Sorakrai

543 So. 2d 294, 1989 WL 41177

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Apr 26, 1989 | Docket: 1437828

Cited 19 times | Published

statutory rape, the legislature provided in section 794.021 that: When, in this chapter, the criminality

State v. Washington

114 So. 3d 182, 2012 WL 2400879, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 10401

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 27, 2012 | Docket: 60231793

Cited 12 times | Published

legislature left no doubt as to its intention that [section 794.021] be treated as a strict liability crime for

Brown v. State

11 So. 3d 428, 2009 Fla. App. LEXIS 5871, 2009 WL 1424047

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: May 22, 2009 | Docket: 1656842

Cited 12 times | Published

supplement contains an erroneous reference to section 794.021 (ignorance of victim's age no defense). This

Smith v. State

365 So. 2d 405

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Dec 5, 1978 | Docket: 1691847

Cited 9 times | Published

recites the applicable statutory provision as Section 794.021(2), Florida Statutes (1975). This is an obvious

Hodge v. State

866 So. 2d 1270, 2004 WL 432501

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Mar 10, 2004 | Docket: 1680044

Cited 8 times | Published

prove criminal scienter on the part of Hodge. Section 794.021, Florida Statutes (2000), unequivocally provides

Feliciano v. State

937 So. 2d 818, 2006 WL 2682580

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Sep 20, 2006 | Docket: 1513085

Cited 6 times | Published

knowledge of the minor's age. To the contrary, section 794.021, Florida Statutes (2003), provides that ignorance

In Re STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CRIMINAL CASES-INSTRUCTIONS 7.8, 7.8(A), and 11.1-11.6(A)

190 So. 3d 1055, 2016 WL 1460708

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Apr 14, 2016 | Docket: 3053710

Cited 1 times | Published

medical purposes is not a sexual battery. § 794.021, Fla. Stat. Ignorance of (victim’s) age

Rivera v. State

1 So. 3d 1158, 2009 Fla. App. LEXIS 360, 2009 WL 188047

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jan 23, 2009 | Docket: 1174583

Cited 1 times | Published

defense to the crime with which he was charged. § 794.021; see Feliciano v. State, 937 So.2d 818, 819 (Fla

In Re: Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases-Report 2018-04.

257 So. 3d 370

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Nov 15, 2018 | Docket: 8193607

Published

937 So.2d 818 (Fla. 1st DCA 2006); § 794.021, Fla. Stat. *374 The defendant's

In Re: Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases – Report No. 2014-03

156 So. 3d 1037, 2015 WL 358011

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jan 29, 2015 | Docket: 2629104

Published

is not a defense to the crime charged. § 794.021, Fla. Stat. Ignorance of (victim’s) age

In re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases

156 So. 3d 1037

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jan 29, 2015 | Docket: 60294043

Published

chastity is not a defense to the crime charged. § 794.021, Fla. Stat. Ignorance of (victim’s) age, (victim’s)

United States v. Donald Ray Harris

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: Jun 16, 2010 | Docket: 2907259

Published

‘statutory rape.’ Thus, we are persuaded that section 794.021 forecloses [the defendant] from a defense

Donaldson v. State

356 So. 2d 351, 1978 Fla. App. LEXIS 15480

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Feb 27, 1978 | Docket: 64563390

Published

indictment, the first count alleging a violation of F.S. 794.021(1) (apparently intending to allege a violation